Do You Miss King Haohao?

After the big fireworks display ended, the two children began playing with some safer fireworks.

Large fireworks weren't allowed where Gu Zhuoling lived, so they had bought sparklers, snap pops, and the like.

Gu Ruize lit a sparkler and handed it to Gu Zhuoling.

Shen Xinde held sparklers in both hands and waved them at the camera. "Dolly! Are they pretty?"

Gu Zhuoling looked at the sparkler flickering in his hand, then at Shen Xinde, who was having a wild time on the screen, and nodded firmly.

Pretty.

Strangely enough, the sparkler wasn't very hot, and he could barely even feel its heat, so why did his chest feel warm?

Gu Zhuoling could hear how lively it was on Shen Xinde's end: adults talking and laughing, fireworks and firecrackers going off, and Shen Xinde's laughter.

But for once, he didn't feel very lonely. The villa complex was brightly lit, and every so often he could hear children from other houses running outside and throwing snap pops. His mom and dad were both beside him, and whenever one firework burned out, another was placed in his hand.

So happy, so happy.

Gu Zhuoling seemed absorbed in setting off fireworks, but he couldn't help feeling excited, his heart beating fast.

"Is it fun?" Zhou Jingyi took a sparkler and lit it from the one burning in Gu Zhuoling's hand. The two bright sparks stood out in the darkness.

"It's fun." The light cast a yellow glow on Gu Zhuoling's face, and he couldn't help smiling. "Mom, it's fun."

Zhou Jingyi said nothing. She just watched Gu Zhuoling's intent face for a while, then stroked his little head.

There was a sudden pop by Gu Zhuoling's feet. Though he wasn't startled, he still looked up.

Gu Ruize had a few snap pops in his hand. He threw two more by Gu Zhuoling's feet, then held out the rest. "If they're fun, play with all of them."

Still smiling, Gu Zhuoling took the snap pops from Gu Ruize and, eager for revenge, threw them all at his feet.

Shen Xinde had wanted to stay up until midnight, but he was just a child and couldn't keep his eyes open. After his mother took him for a bath and brought him back to bed, he began to grow drowsy.

"Dolly..." Even though he was incredibly sleepy, Shen Xinde was still chatting away with Gu Zhuoling on his watch, murmuring softly.

"I'm here." Gu Zhuoling was in bed too, looking through the red envelopes his parents had personally handed him earlier. They contained thick stacks of money.

"Haohao, when you come back, I'll give you a red envelope too." Gu Zhuoling counted the bills, planning to give Shen Xinde one as well.

Shen Xinde chuckled. "Then Haohao will give Dolly one too. Haohao got red envelopes today too."

Gu Zhuoling smiled, straightened the red envelopes in his hands, and put them under his pillow.

"Dolly, sleepy." Shen Xinde was already a little groggy, but he kept talking.

"Then hurry and go to sleep, Haohao."

"Happy New Year, Dolly! Did you have fun today?"

"Yes, lots of fun. Happy New Year to you too, Haohao." Now, whenever Gu Zhuoling closed his eyes, he could see fireworks blooming before him and feel the sparkler's sparks warming his chest.

Shen Xinde couldn't stay awake any longer. He didn't answer, and his breathing had grown steady.

Gu Zhuoling softly said good night into his watch.

The lights went out, though it was still a little noisy outside.

But Gu Zhuoling closed his eyes, feeling at ease.

After the Spring Festival, they stayed at Grandpa and Grandma's house for another four or five days before Shen Qiming had to go back to work.

They returned at noon, and they had already arranged for someone to clean the house in advance.

As soon as they got home, Shen Xinde flopped onto the bed, too tired to move.

He had been playing so hard these past two days that he couldn't get up in the mornings.

He had gotten up early for once today and hadn't been able to sleep in the car, so he was sleepy now.

"Get up, you little lazy pig. We're going to take some New Year's gifts to A-Ling's family." Xia Wanqing walked in and pulled a certain limp little pig to his feet.

When Shen Xinde heard they were going to see Gu Zhuoling, he reluctantly got out of bed and followed his mother next door.

Gu Zhuoling didn't know Shen Xinde was coming back today. Shen Xinde hadn't told him when they talked on the phone yesterday, intending to surprise him today.

So when they knocked, it was Zhou Jingyi who opened the door.

"Oh, my little Haohao, I haven't seen you in so long!" Zhou Jingyi took the New Year's gifts Xia Wanqing handed her, hurriedly invited them in, then caught hold of Shen Xinde's chubby cheeks and gave them a good rub.

"Long... mmph, time no see, Auntie Zhou, mmph, Happy New Year, mmph." Shen Xinde delivered his New Year's greetings in fits and starts, then received two little red envelopes from Zhou Jingyi.

"They're from me and your Uncle Gu." Zhou Jingyi quickly tucked the envelopes into Shen Xinde's arms and gave them two gentle pats.

Grinning foolishly at his red envelopes, Shen Xinde obediently handed them to his mother for safekeeping, eager to go upstairs and find Gu Zhuoling.

"Go see A-Ling. He thought you'd be back a couple of days ago, but you still didn't come back. He's missed Haohao so much that he's been listless and unhappy these past two days." Zhou Jingyi spoke very directly, selling her son out on the spot.

Xia Wanqing laughed when she heard that and handed Shen Xinde the two red envelopes she had prepared. "Take these up to A-Ling for Mom and Dad while you're at it. Have fun."

Shen Xinde tucked away the two thick red envelopes, carefully held the little one he had prepared himself, and huffed his way upstairs.

Gu Zhuoling was reading in his room.

Shen Xinde quietly opened the door, hid the envelopes behind his back, and walked in with his hands behind him.

Gu Zhuoling didn't notice at all. It wasn't that he was too absorbed in his book; his mind was just wandering.

"Wah!"

Shen Xinde gave a big jump from behind Gu Zhuoling, landing in front of him.

With a thump, Gu Zhuoling closed his book and looked closely, only to find the person he had just been thinking about.

"Haohao!" Gu Zhuoling's eyes lit up. He put his book aside and invited Shen Xinde onto the sofa.

"Did you miss King Haohao?" Shen Xinde confidently raised his head and held out the three red envelopes from behind his back. "Here, a surprise Haohao prepared for you. These are from Mom and Dad and Haohao."

Gu Zhuoling took them. He glanced at the two exquisite red envelopes and put them on the coffee table beside him. The last one was small, with a little person drawn on it, rather badly.

Gu Zhuoling thanked him, then carefully opened the red envelope.

There was money inside, along with a drawing of Spring Festival fireworks. It was beautiful, and beside it were the words "Happy New Year, Dolly," written so crookedly they were hard to make out.

Gu Zhuoling slowly smoothed out the creases in the drawing and studied it carefully.

"Did you miss Haohao? You still haven't answered Haohao." Shen Xinde tilted his head and popped into Gu Zhuoling's line of sight.

Gu Zhuoling paused. They looked at each other for a few seconds, then Gu Zhuoling suddenly leaned over and kissed Shen Xinde on the cheek. "Yes, I missed Haohao."

Satisfied with the answer, Shen Xinde leaned in and rewarded Gu Zhuoling with a kiss, then held out his little hand and shook it in the air. "Where's Haohao's red envelope?"

Shen Xinde's red envelope had been sitting on the table, but Gu Zhuoling hadn't come up with any creative ideas and had only put money inside.

Though there were no other little gifts, he had stuffed enough money into it—a thick stack, enough to make the envelope burst.